Foot stabilizer



Nov. 27, 1956 M. A. KIE SEL FOOT STABILIZER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed June 3, 1955 Ne Ni}! H. (fies-e INVENTOR,

I Ikalw A 7' TORNEY Nov. 27, 1956 M. A. KIESEL FOOT STABILIZER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jun :5, 1953 Melvin r7. Kl'e se IN V EN TOR,

A TTORNEY Nov. 27, 1956 M. A. KIESEL FOOT STABILIZER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 3, 1 955 JNVENTOR,

FIG. 8

ATTORNEY United States Patent FOOT STABILIZER Melvin A. Kiesel, Hinton, Okla.

Application June 3, 1953, Serial No. 359,261

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-25) The present invention relates to exercising the muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia of the human foot, and more particularly to a device to be worn on the foot to accomplish the proper posturing and exercising thereof.

The device consists substantially of a resilient foot harness or appliance which is capable of exerting a direct pull on the arches of the foot, thus tending to urge the bones of the arches toward their proper arcuate position.

The appliance further acts to stimulate the activity of the foot muscles during walking, as well as to promote a more complete relaxation of such muscles during the times the foot is in repose, due to increased circulatory efiiciency brought about by the elastic compression of the appliance. Further, the appliance of the present invention tends to urge the calcaneus toward its proper position, wherein its lower rounded portion is presented downwardly in proper position to support a persons weight.

The device of the present invention is not an arch support in the sense usually attributed to the term, because there is only a slight sling like support on the medial and lateral sides of the plantar surface of the foot which is anchored by cross members under said arches. The major support given to the longitudinal arches by the device is through a slight resilient longitudinal compression of the bones of the arches.

The present device cannot in any way be considered to be a foot bandage, because it binds no part of the foot, at least, not in the sense usually attributed to the term bandage.

The device of the present invention exerts a slight resilient compressive force, on both sides of the foot, at that portion thereof usually termed the area of the transverse domes and the anterior metatarsal arch. This lateral compression tends to urge the normalcy of the anterior metatarsal arch and transverse domes of the foot. There is no rigid binding of the bones or of the foot.

The resilient force exerted by the device is so gentle, that soon after the device is applied, the wearer is not conscious of its presence. He is only aware that his feet feel more alive during functional movement, and more at rest when the feet are in repose.

The readiness with which humanity adopts and Wears the misfit foot apparel almost entirely negatives the maintaining of the proper posture of the feet, both in repose and during activity. My device is intended to aid in reestablishing the proper posture of bone structure, in both repose and during function. By making my device as little restrictive as possible, it assists to re-establish the natural posture of the foot, both in repose and during activity, without pain or discomfort to the wearer. It eliminates or at least reduces the constant binding and restricting, which is caused by most corrective appliances which this applicant has examined.

The object of my appliance is not to support the arches, muscles or ligaments, but rather through exercise while the patient is in active motion, to stimulate the circulation, and increase the tone to muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia.

2,771,874 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide a device which will accomplish those things which are hereinabove set forth as possibilities.

A further object is to provide a foot appliance or barness of the class described, which is easy to install and to remove.

Another object is to provide a foot posturing and exercising device which is comparatively cheap to manufacture, and also to be relatively inconspicuous when worn and easily laundered or sterilized.

An additional object is to provide a foot exercising and posturing appliance which is not only comfortable to wear, but which actually instills in the foot a feeling or sensation of pleasure.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view looking at the lateral surface of a right human foot showing the bones as they appear when the external longitudinal arch is normal, or in other words has not been broken down, said figure illustrating in dotted lines the approximate position of my device properly installed thereon;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but looking at the internal longitudinal arch;

Figure 3 is an elevational view looking at the medial surface of a persons right foot, and showing my device operatively installed thereon;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but looking at the lateral surface of the same foot;

Figure 5 is a sagital sectional view through the device alone, said view being taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device, looking downwardly from a position in front and to the left thereof;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the device looking from a position at the right side thereof; and,

Figure 8 is a view of the plantar surface of a persons right foot with the device installed thereon, the dotted lines showing the relationship of the front cross-member of the appliance to the heads of the metatarsal bones.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

In Figures 1 and 2, the foot bones are shown as they appear in a normal foot. The appliance of the present invention is designed to create a resilient longitudinal compressive force substantially along the lines x-x of Figs. 1 and 2, thereby tending to maintain the foot bones in their normal positions, as shown.

To this end, a preferred embodiment of the invention, per se, consists of an appliance or harness made of elastic strip material, and including:

A horizontal extent 20 adapted to extend transversely over an area traversing the metatarsal bones thereof. For illustrative purposes, the horizontal portion or extent 20 may be assumed to be that extent lying between the two lines 21 and 22 of Fig. 6. At one of its ends, the horizontal extent 20 is integrally connected to the front end of a strip 23 which is adapted to lie flatly along the side surface of a foot and to extend rearward to a point at the side of the calcaneus bone of the foot. The other end of the lateral extent 20 is integrally connected to the front end of another side strip 24 which is adapted to lie flatly along the other side surface of the foot, and to extend rearward to a point beside the calcaneus of the foot. For illustrative purposes, it may be assumed that the side strip 23 spans the distance between the line 21 of Fig. 6 and a line 25 thereof. Also, that the side strip 24 extends between the line 22 of Fig. 6 and a line 26 thereof. The rear ends of the two side strips 23 and 24 are connected by a transverse extent or portion 27 which integrally joins the two, and which is adapted to extend laterally across the posterior surface of the heel or calcaneus 2 of the foot.

The"harness' further includes a transverse strip .or extent 30 of elastic, which has its two upper end portions 31 and 32 respectively cemented, vulcanized, or otherwise integrated to the above described side strips 23 and 24 just to the'rear of the two lines 21 and 22 of Fig. 6. This lateral extent 30 passes under the foot across an area lying just distal to the heads of the metatarsal bones 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The extent 30 therefore serves to maintain the horizontal extent in its proper position which is transversely over an area across the metatarsal .hones 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

The lateral extent 27, the two side strips 23 .and 24, and the horizontal extent 20 complementally form a foot enveloping loop which, when the appliance is properly installed upon the foot, acts to create a resilient longitudinal pull or compressive force tending to urge the calcaneus toward the metatarsal bones. This longitudinal, or anterior-posterior compressive force is centered approximately along the lines x-x of Figs. 1, 2 and 7. This longitudinal compressive force tends to draw the cal- .caneus forwardly toward the toes of the foot, and to thereby raise the longitudinal arches of the foot, or in other words, the force tends to draw the foot bones toward a condition of normalcy.

The harness further includes a plurality of transverse strips 30, 35 and 36 which have their ends integrally connected to the two side strips 23 and 24, and which extend across the foot beneath the sole thereof. The lateral extent passes under the foot across a point lying just distal to the heads of the five metatarsal bones. The transverse strip 36 is comparatively short and is preferably so in order to position the lowermost edges of the two side strips 23 and 24 adjacent the plantar surfaces of the calcaneus, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Thus, in walking, the sole of the heel impinges the strip 36 and a portion of the side strips 23 and 24 before weight is placed upon the whole foot and assuring a positive anchor together with the strip 27 for the device at the rear base, or calcaneus, of the longitudinal arch. When the full weight .of the individual is placed upon the foot, the strips 20, 23, 24 and 30, firmly anchored by the strips 36 and 27 around the .calcaneus, tend to resiliently resist forward movement of the front base or heads of the metatarsal bones of the longitudinal arch along the lines xx. The transverse strips 30, and 36 act to hold or stabilize the horizontal elements 20, 23, 24' and 27. The transverse strips 30, 35 and 36 further co-act with the loop (202324 and 27), to create a resilient lateral compressive force tending to urge the metatarsal bones to describe a transverse are or dome, This lateral compressive force also tends to cause the bones 9, 10, 11, 12 and I 13 of the longitudinal arches to describe a transverse arc or dome. It might Well be said that this lateral compressive force acts to prevent a lateral spreading of said bones, and in so doing, resiliently urges the foot bones into relative positions of normalcy.

It is pointed out that the appliance of the present invention is so designed and constructed that there is no impairment of muscular movement, and no impairment of the proper articulation of the foot bones.

Obviously, the mechanical principles set forth and described hereinabove could well be provided or embodied in devices in the nature of foot garments, as well as in a foot appliance" or harness, as shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not Wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

4 I claim: 1. A foot posturing and exercising appliance made of elastic strips interconnected to form: a horizontal extent for traversing an area over the metatarsal bones; a lateral extent for engagement with the posterior surface of the calcaneus bone of the foot; two spaced apart side strips connecting the two lateral extents, each side strip adapted to extend longitudinally along a different side of said foot; and a plurality of transverse bands connected to both of said side strips, at least one of the bands adapted to extend beneath said foot and at least one of the bands adapted for traversing the plantar surfaces of the foot immediately distal to the heads of the metatarsal bones thereof; said bands resiliently holding the lateral extents and the horizontal extent in proper position to be worn on the foot.

2. A foot exercising appliance made of thin elastic strips interconnected so that the appliance may be Worn on the foot, said strips forming means for exerting resilient longitudinal compression between the rearmost and the lowermost surface of the calcaneus of the foot and the anterior surfaces of the metatarsal-bones of the foot, said means comprising an endless band formed of said elastic strips and adapted to pass only along the sides of the foot and for extending transversely across the anterior surfaces of the metatarsal bones and the posterior surface of the calcaneus, and at least two elastic strips connected to said endless band in depending relation and adapted to pass under the foot for holding said endless band in place.

3. A foot exercising appliance made of flat compara tively thin elastic strip material, including: an endless loop adapted for snug .engagement traversing the metatarsal bones of a foot, and for traversing the posterior surface of the calcaneus; and transverse loop retaining strips connecting the sides of said loop, one of said strips adapted to pass under the bottom of the foot immediately distal to the heads of the metatarsal bones, another of said strips adapted to pass under the calcaneus of said foot.

4. A foot exercising appliance made of flat comparatively thin elastic strip material, including: an endless loop adapted for snug engagement traversing the metatarsal bones, and traversing the posterior surface of the calcaneus; and flexible means for stabilizing the loop during wear, said means including at least two transverse bands connected at their respective ends to opposing sides of said loop, one of said bands adapted to pass across the plantar surface of the calcaneus, and the other one of said bands adapted to pass across the plantar surface immediately distal the heads of the metatarsal bones.

5. A foot exercising appliance made of flat comparatively thin elastic strip material, including: an endless loop adapted for snug engagement traversing the metatarsal bones, and for traversing the posterior and the plantar surface of the calcaneus; and resilient means for laterally traversing the foot and co-acting with the sides of said loop to exert lateral compression which tends to prevent a lateral spread and a vertical collapse of the ossius dome of the longitudinal arch of said foot, said means comprising a band adapted to pass across the plantar surface immediately distal the heads of the metatarsal bones and another band adapted to pass across the instep.

6. A foot exercising appliance made of elastic strip material, said appliance including: a first transverse extent adapted to pass over the anterior surfaces of the metatarsal bones; a second transverse extent adapted to pass across the plantar surface of the calcaneus; a first strip connecting the similarly located ends of said extents, and adapted to pass along the lateral surface of the foot; a second strip connecting the other ends of said extents, and adapted to pass along the medial surface of the foot; and resilient means for holding said extents and said strips in wearing position, said means comprising a first band adapted to pass across the posterior surface of the calcaneus and having its ends connected with the second said transverse extent and a second band adapted to pass across the plantar surface immediately distal the heads of the metatarsal bones and having its ends connected with the first said transverse extent.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,970 Cleveland et al. Aug. 28, 1923 6 Blum June 24, 1924 Guinzburg July 7, 1925 Gammeter Mar. 10, 1936 Jungmann Nov. 6, 1937 Brand Aug. 10, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 5, 1931 

